What Is Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing is a positive childbirth education program for couples enhanced by self-hypnosis techniques for a calm, gentle birthing experience.

Studies show that women who have calm, natural births with minimal intervention experience better recovery and higher breast feeding rates. Their babies are more alert at birth, they cry less, sleep better and have better long term health and mums are less tired as well, some don’t even look as if they have just given birth.

When couples prepare themselves with independent childbirth education programs this gives them confidence with birth and parenting. As a hynobirthing practitioner I find that many of my clients experience minimal intervention, inductions and caesarean rates in their birth, and are able to use the skills they learn in the classes to reduce the intensity of pain they may experience – or even eliminate pain altogether.

After completing a hypnobirthing course you will be fully prepared, educated and confident in how you can achieve a positive, calm birth outcome no matter how your baby chooses to come into the world.

Here are just a few things you will learn in Hypnobirthing:

How fear affects women in labour & birth

How to use hypnosis and relaxaion to create a positive birth outcome

Self-hypnosis techniques for labour & birth

Relaxation & Visualisation techniques

Breathing techniques for labour & birth

How to prepare your birth plan

A simple explanation of what happens during labour & birth

How are the muscles of the uterus working in unison to bring your baby to you

How you can breathe to minimise tearing during birth

How your partner can have an active role during labour & birth

Strategies to avoid an induction

Demonstrations of labour & birth positions

And so much more ….

So why do a Hypnobirthing Course?

I love sharing this incredible childbirth education program and I feel that it is really important for all women to have the opportunity to prepare themselves to give birth without fear.

When I chat to women about hypnobirthing some of them say that they have bought a book on hypnobirthing, but they didn’t quite get it so hypnobirthing just didn’t work for them.

Yes, having a book is great, but attending the classes will provide so many more benefits and then allow you to understand all the chapters in the book – you will have that light bulb moment where you say “oh I get that now.”

Why?

Because you have someone who is trained in hypnobirthing who is then able to demonstrate with you and your partner what hypnobirthing is all about. As you are practising in class the HB educator can provide feedback and suggestions to you. Not only that, the educator is then also your motivator, your extra support person who encourages and motivates you to practice what you have learnt. The more you practice, the more you feel what you are learning, the more you believe in what you have learnt and the more positive your hypnobirthing experience will be.

As a couple you participate in hypnotherapy during classes and during these sessions we provide the “anchoring” and “deepening” techniques to help you go into that deeply relaxed zone and to be able to get to that zone at any time you need.

The 5 Basic Hypnobirthing techniques that we teach you are:

Relaxation

Visualisation

Self-Hypnosis

Breathing

Affirmations

The classes are not just about hypnosis and how to get into that calm, relaxed space. It is a really comprehensive childbirth education program, so we discuss your birthing muscles and how they work, breathing techniques to really “bear down and breathe” baby out – (not push your baby out), visualisation techniques, your birthing options, changing the way you think and speak about birth, positive affirmations, your care providers, your choices, what to expect and the reasons why, natural induction methods, labour and birthing positions, we provide you with a draft birth preferences template that you can change to suit your own individual preferences, releasing fears, negative thoughts or emotions regarding childbirth, bonding with your baby, nutrition and preparing your body for healthy birthing and so much more!

There are so many positive reasons for taking hypnobirthing classes, but one of the most valuable and important reasons is that your partner or birth companions are included in this training as they are your most important advocates, your rock and pillar of support, the one that you can turn to when you are not quite sure or you just need something at that point in time.

They are the ones who have an important role to play in helping you to bring your baby into a calm and peaceful environment. Long gone are the days where dad sat in the corner with the telly on watching sports or reruns of Dukes of Hazard and continuously checking the clock or trying to find something useful to do. He now has a very important part to play in this new adventure and it will prepare and empower him on the day, which will be so positive and reassuring for the birthing mum so she can remain in her quiet zone working with her mind and body to bring their baby out into the world.

My belief is that no matter how you birth, whether it is naturally in a hospital, your home, birthing centre or by caesarean, the hypnobirthing program can help you feel calm, relaxed and prepared for the arrival of your most precious gift….your baby. And by practising hypnobirthing it will provide a beautiful birthing space for your baby to enter the world, one where your bonding can then also be a wondrous experience for you, your birthing companion and your baby.